Where To Get The Best Coffee In Every State

“I have measured out my life in coffee spoons,” T.S. Eliot once wrote. The working person’s ambrosia is now nearly ubiquitous, and a reported 83 percent of Americans indulge in the beverage, averaging three cups a day per person.

However, some cups of joe are better than others, and Food and Wine went on a national quest to find the best coffee available in every state.

Americans’ love of coffee has turned the morning staple into a $30 billion a year industry, according to Professor Bob Thompson, per USA Today.

“You could say this nation runs on two dark liquids — petroleum and coffee.”

The research took a year to complete, and the Food and Wine writers were sure to not to disclose their employer — or their mission — so that the results were authentic. The writers were overall impressed and optimistic with all of the options available to them, and had a glowing review of the process.

“Possibly for the first time ever, each state now has a modern, up-to-speed coffee roaster doing at least very promising work, so there’s that — from North Dakota to Nevada to Oklahoma to Alabama, there are so many bright, often very young people jumping into the game, a group that becomes more representative by the year.”

The guidelines were simple: the coffee shops had to be an actual coffee roaster, and have been operational for at least two years. Also, the coffee aficionados were not just judging the coffee, but also the ambiance of the café, the commitment to sustainability, and the baristas and customers.

Though the Food and Wine article lists the impression notes of coffee, general experiences, and runners up, below is a short summary of places to find a great cup of joe.